Monthly Archives: December 2016

News4Jax TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Sen. Jeff Brandes, a St. Petersburg Republican who has backed statewide rules for ride-sharing companies such as Lyft and Uber, expressed confidence Sunday that lawmakers will move forward during the 2017 session with legislation that supporters say would help the industry expand. “After years of debating this issue, Florida is finally…

Opinion – Steve Pociask What a difference a few years can make. Recent changes to insurance public policies have left homeowners better protected and given the state greater financial stability. Yet, there is still room for improvements, including changes that could dramatically reduce premiums for consumers. Over a decade ago, Florida property insurance market could…

State Sen. Jeff Brandes, wants to get rid of a car insurance requirement he says makes driving more expensive in Florida. On Tuesday, the St. Petersburg Republican filed legislation (SB 156) to repeal personal injury protection, or PIP, which covers minor accident claims, regardless of who was at fault. Required under state law since 1972, drivers…

CBSMIAMI.COM: Facebook | Twitter TALLAHASSEE (CBSMiami/NSF) – Increases in water-damage claims — primarily in South Florida — will likely reverse years of downsizing by the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance, board members were advised Wednesday as they approved a hike in the corporation’s operating budget. Citizens President and CEO Barry Gilway said efforts to shed policies have already slowed…

State Sen. Jeff Brandes says he will file legislation for the 2017 Legislative Session to fund flood mitigation in affected communities. The idea is to lower the cost of flood insurance by decreasing flood severity in areas covered by the National Flood Insurance Program’s (NFIP) Community Rating System. The legislation will create a matching grant program, in…

A new analysis says Florida has the best drivers in the nation after Rhode Island. The folks behind the number-crunching at car insurance shopping site Quotewizard almost can’t believe it themselves. “Florida is best known for two things: the “Florida Man” headlines generated by its eccentric residents, and its many retirees, ” their explanation goes.…

Brandon Larrabee, News Service of Florida, Daily Business Review House Speaker Richard Corcoran called for the business community to rally around his push for changes to Florida’s judiciary, saying failure to do so could make the Legislature’s efforts to pass pro-business legislation futile. Zeroing in specifically on a looming debate over how to respond to…

By Jim Turner, The News Service of Florida TALLAHASSEE, Fla. – Increases in water-damage claims — primarily in South Florida — will likely reverse years of downsizing by the state-backed Citizens Property Insurance, board members were advised Wednesday as they approved a hike in the corporation’s operating budget. Citizens President and CEO Barry Gilway said…

Palm Beach Post – Charles Elmore After years of jettisoning customers, Florida’s last-resort insurer expects to get bigger in 2017 — returning to more than half a million policies. “We’ve entered a different stage,” Citizens Property Insurance Corp. president Barry Gilway told the company’s board in a meeting Wednesday. “There’s very little interest in depopulation.”…